WODEHOUSE IN EXILE

[tutt-sweet]

BBC4 AT 21.00 - 25TH MARCH

Julian is playing Malcolm Muggeridge [?!!??! ] in this drama about the rather sad life of PG Wodehouse.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01rlwy8

[tutt-sweet]

What a thought provoking account about the sad life of the greatest comic writer of the 20th century.

'Wodehouse In Exile' tells of PG Wodehouse's fall from grace when the Nazis tricked him into broadcasting to the Americans during the war, leading to him being accused of treason.

As ‘Time Out’ reports……….“Was PG Wodehouse a traitor, as so many people thought for so many years? Apparently not; the release of the Cullen report by MI5 last year finally cleared the ‘Jeeves and Wooster’ creator of the long-held belief by many that he had consciously assisted the Germans in WWII, paving the way for this one-off drama by Nigel Williams.

Its initial theatricality and wooden staging fail to engage, undermining a terrific true story, but as that story begins to unfold things pick up no end, and we begin to understand how one very unworldly Englishman could be so easily manipulated into a position that would lead to his downfall and exile. Tim Pigott-Smith plays Wodehouse with aplomb, frustrating us with his naivety, and it’s left to Zoe Wanamaker’s spiky and sassy Ethel Wodehouse to provide clues as to why he would have so foolishly walked into such an obvious trap.

Let it draw you in and you’ll be rewarded by a nuanced, thoughtful story that has a rare impact.”

I thought Tim Piggot- Smith was exceptional as the self-deprecating PG [Plum] & Zoe Wanamaker as the intrepid Ethel [Mrs Wodehouse] played her with just the right amount of pluck & stoicism .
Julian [in swishy great coat] played Malcolm Muggeridge, a British Intelligence Officer assigned to make an initial investigation into Wodehouse's broadcasts. He played him with great sensitivity & compassion. Previously I was not a fan of Muggeridge, thanks to Julian's gracious & thoughtful portrayal, I like him much better now.

[chatterbox]

I've lined it up to watch later in the week - looking forward to it!

[pennygwynne]

What a thought provoking account about the sad life of the greatest comic writer of the 20th century.

...

Previously I was not a fan of Muggeridge, thanks to Julian's gracious & thoughtful portrayal, I like him much better now.

Nicely said!